Guidance for Presidential Assessment Committee of the Board of Governors[1]

Drawing upon the report of William Weary[2]and the feedback from members of the 2000-2001 board assessment committee of the President, the following suggestions are made for future rounds of the quadrennial comprehensive Presidential performance review:

1. The next comprehensive performance review of the President would occur in 2004-2005.

2. In the spring of that year, and every four years thereafter, the chairperson of the board will appoint a presidential assessment committee consisting of 5 to 7 members with a plan for the committee’s work to be completed in 60 to 90 days.

3. In consultation with the President, the committee will retain an outside consultant to guide the process. The Secretary to the University will provide the committee with background materials relevant to the presidential assessment process.

4. Meetings of the committee will be held in closed session, open only to members of the Board of Governors, the consultant and, when requested by the committee, the President.

5. At the beginning of the process the committee and the President will jointly develop the criteria to be used in the assessment.

6. The President will write a self-assessment that addresses goals and accomplishments and will suggest goals for the coming years.

7. Each board member will fill out a questionnaire developed by the consultant and will be interviewed by a committee member or the consultant.

8. The committee, in consultation with the President, will develop a list of people other than board members who will be interviewed. The list may include chancellors, senior officers, student and faculty leaders, Board of Trustees members, State, community and national leaders, and peers in other universities. The interviews will be confidential and will be conducted by a skilled interviewer.

9. After all relevant information is gathered, the consultant will draft a report which will be reviewed for accuracy by the President and the committee chairperson before it is submitted to the committee. The chairperson will present the edited report to the committee.

10. The President may prepare a formal response to the report.

11. The committee will meet with the President to discuss the report and the President’s response, if any. The committee may revise the report in response to the President’s written or verbal remarks.

12. The committee will present the report to the board, and the board will discuss the report with the President. Only the President and the President’s personnel file will retain copies of the report.

13. The committee will recommend for board approval goals for the President for the upcoming year and/or years.

14. The board chairman and the President may jointly issue a press release to inform the public of the results of the process.